PUPILS from a Teesside primary school donned yellow to remember a special little girl and mark what would have been her third birthday.

The youngsters, from Ingleby Barwick’s Whinstone Primary School, were holding the event in memory of Rebecca Sands, who died in her sleep aged just 21 months.

Rebecca had been diagnosed with the rare brain condition lissencephaly when she was 10 weeks old. The condition meant Rebecca had severe delays in her development as well as problems with her sight and with swallowing.

The special occasion was organised by Rebecca’s big sister Charlotte, seven, a pupil at Whinstone Primary.

Charlotte arranged it so that her classmates wore yellow and also ran a cake sale to raise money for a charity set up by her family in Rebecca’s name, Remembering Rebecca.

The charity helps support others with neurological conditions, aiming to provide equipment that the local authorities can’t provide.

Charlotte and Rebecca’s mum, Gemma, 39, who is also mum to one-year-old Mikey, said: “The yellow day was Charlotte’s idea but the school backed her 100%.

“The children wore yellow as that is the colour we believe Rebecca could see.

“The staff were very impressed with the amount of children who took part and when I picked up Charlotte I was quite surprised to see them all in something yellow.

“Charlotte did a cake sale and we had a big cake donated that Charlotte’s class could enjoy. The idea behind the cakes is that is what Rebecca would have been doing on her birthday if things had been different.

“It was really nice because Charlotte is a massive part in the charity and she was able to organise her own event and they raised over £400 on the day.”

Separately, the Sands family were also invited to enjoy a well-deserved meal when the Norman Conquest pub and restaurant, on Flatts Lane, in Middlesbrough, reopened following a refit.

Gemma said: “We were there to be treated for our hard work in the community, which was very kind of them. The food was lovely and we had a good day.

“The Conquest also let us hold our kids’ Halloween party there, where we raised over £300.”